Let's go Bowling: Big Ten battles for respect

Penn State gets to uphold the Big Ten's honor against LSU this yearThe bowl matchups are out. As I stated in my last post, the Big Ten needs a big showing in the bowl games in order to improve their standing nationally. Of course winning the lower bowls and then losing the BCS bowls will not help. Big Ten teams need to win bowl games while people are watching and ESPN is interested.

7 Big Ten teams are going bowling. So how do they match up? Let’s take a look.

When I list the “Big Ten #2” I am referring to the order in which the bowls get to pick their teams. In this instance the bowl had the 2nd pick of Big Ten teams after the BCS. It does not refer to the order of finish in the league's standings. Where you finish in your conference has no direct relationship to which bowl game picks your team.

When you look at the numbers for these two teams, everything is nearly identical. Miami scores 0.6 more points and gives up 0.2 points fewer per game. Two potential Heisman candidates for next year should make this a good game to watch (Jacory Harris & John Clay). This is one of those matchups that the Big Ten can and needs to win.

In looking at this matchup, these two teams seem pretty evenly matched. Iowa State scores 21.1 points/game and Minnesota 21.6. Iowa State gives up 22.6 points/game and Minnesota slightly more at 24.6. Iowa State runs up 64 more yards on offense and allows 50 more yards on defense. All in all, this should be a pretty even game and one the Big Ten needs to win.

This game doesn’t look as good for the Big Ten. Auburn averages 32.9 points per game, Northwestern 25.2. That’s a TD advantage for Auburn. On defense they are much closer with Auburn giving up a field goal (3.6 points) more per game. In any matchup with the SEC the Big Ten must show up. The numbers give Auburn an advantage but it sure would help if Northwestern was at least competitive in this one.

It seems like no matter what happens, the Big Ten is going to be fighting for respect. SI’s Stewart Mandel in his review of the bowl games has this to say about this game. “If the Tigers win, it's yet another example of the SEC's superiority over the Big Ten. If the Nittany Lions win, it's because LSU was without injured running back Charles Scott.”

What do the numbers say? Penn State scores 2.2 more points per game, but has a huge advantage of 102.8 more yards per game. This may indicate that Penn State is not as efficient an offense, but you would think that it could swing time of possession their way. The same is true on the defensive side of the ball. Penn State has given up 11.8 points per game, LSU 16.0. That’s a difference of 4.2 points per game. Penn State also gives up 49.5 fewer yards per game. I love the Lions in this matchup even if Charles Scott was playing for LSU. The Lions have no excuse for not winning this one. This is a must win for the Big Ten.

Everyone I talk to thinks the Fightin’ Sweatervests have no chance in this game. We’ve all seen how explosive that Oregon offense has looked in recent games. The numbers paint a slightly different picture and I would never doubt King Sweatervests ability to slow down a game and keep the score low.

Oregon averages a gaudy 37.7 points per game. That’s 8.4 points more than the Fightin’ Sweatervests. However on defense (do they play defense in the PAC Ten?) the Fightin’ Sweatervests only give up 12.2 points per game. That’s 10.3 points fewer than Oregon. Based on the numbers, I would expect the Fightin’ Sweatervests to score around 26 points. The question is; can the Fightin’ Sweatervests hold the Ducks below 26? We shall see. One thing the Big Ten can’t afford is for the Fightin’ Sweatervests to get blow out by the Ducks.

Look Out! This matchup looks bad. In fact, Texas Tech probably deserved a better bowl game. Texas Tech’s offense is ranked 9th in the nation in scoring, Michigan State’s 45th. Texas tech’s scoring defense is ranked 37th in the nation, Michigan State’s 61st. Add to this the 10 players lost for the game, 2 kicked off the team and 8 suspended and you have a bad matchup for the Big Ten,

One of the great things about Georgia Tech’s option offense is that you don’t see it much in college football anymore. That makes it very difficult to prepare to play them. However, with a month available, the Hawkeye’s should have plenty of time to get ready to defend this unique offense.

This game matches strength against strength. The Georgia Tech offense, 35 points per game Vs the Iowa defense, 15.5 points per game. The Hawkeye offense matches up pretty well with the Georgia Tech defense. Iowa scores 23.1 points per game and Georgia Tech gives up 24.1. Assuming form holds and Iowa gets their 23 points. The question becomes, can the Iowa defense hold Georgia Tech to under 23? With a month to prepare, I say yes. Iowa can win this game. Of course if Ricky Stanzi goes all “intercepty” and starts turning the ball over, then Georgia Tech could blow them out. This could be the final win the Big Ten needs in the eyes of the country.

How should it play out?Here’s my prediction of how it should play out.

I think as long as no more than one of the losses is a blow out, the Big Ten’s reputation could be restored some. I don’t expect the conference to be all the way back this bowl season. Of course there is that non-conference game that Penn State has next year that could help, but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.

What do you think the outcomes will be? As always, I welcome your comments either here on the blog or via my email at rbtjsmith@comcast.net.